Trash bag having flexible solid edge

ABSTRACT

A bag for collecting refuse or yard waste is disclosed. The bag may include one or more solid edges to keep the bag open when in a horizontal or when in an upright position. The solid edge may flip out to act as a guide for refuse into the bag. The bag may also include a loop handle that may be held by the user to facilitate the bag staying open in the horizontal position, or a hook or clip that facilitates the bag staying open in the upright position.

This application claims the benefit of application No. 60/791,415, filed Apr. 13, 2006, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a bag for collecting refuse, yard waste, or construction debris. Specifically, the invention relates to a trash bag which stays open when in use with the assistance of flexible strips, a flip-out sweeping edge, and an ergonomic loop handle and loop hook.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Trash bags may be difficult to use while performing other functions, such as collecting waste, raking leaves, picking up trash, or other activities, while trying to keep the mouth of the bag open at the same time. If the mouth of the bag collapses when one is attempting to load the bag with leaves or refuse, some or all of the debris may miss the bag opening and end up on the ground or floor, thereby causing frustration and the need to duplicate the effort. One solution is to simply use one hand for placing the debris into the bag, while using the other hand to hold the bag open. When the bag is completely empty, this may not even work, as two hands are often required to hold the bag open. Furthermore, if only a small handful of debris may be lifted and placed in the bag at one time, the job will take much longer than if both hands could be used.

To keep from dropping the waste or debris all over the floor or ground, some people will hold the bag in a horizontal position, rather than vertically upright. When such bags are used in a horizontal position, it is also difficult to sweep or rake refuse or debris into the bag because the mouth does not stay open in this position either. Again, the solution is generally to hold the bag open with one hand while sweeping or raking with the other hand. Using the bag in this manner can be very inefficient.

The current unstructured mouth openings of polymeric bags available to consumers are difficult to load in both the horizontal and vertical positions without containers or stands while performing tasks.

Common tasks that are most difficult to perform with available unstructured bags are; loading trash, leaves, landscape, and construction debris. Users are constantly stopping to try to hold the bag open with one hand and loading the bag with the other, a task that is time and motion inefficient and usually very unsuccessful until the bag is ¼-½ full.

Additionally, many individuals have problems with their backs, which makes constantly bending to open the bag not only time consuming, but also painful. Many businesses lose a great deal of labor to back injuries and related ailments each year.

To hold bags open in an upright position, various stands have been developed. The bag must be loaded into such a stand, and then lifted out of the stand when full. If the stands are made of metal, they may rip a polymeric or paper bag when it is lifted out. The bag may fall from such stands during loading as well.

Several patents disclose attempts to solve the bag opening problem.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,196 discloses a device for holding open the mouth of a bag in a horizontal position. The device is a flexible band that is inserted into a tubular hem of the bag to keep the mouth open during use.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,824 discloses a garbage bag having an elastic rim edge which is used to assist in closing the bag once it is filled with refuse.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,619 discloses a device for holding open the mouth of a bag. The device is a strip of lightweight, stiff material that is secured around the circumference of the mouth of the bag.

Despite these known methods and devices, there still is a need for improved garbage or trash bag which stays open when the bag is in the horizontal position for easy sweeping or raking, as well as a bag that stays open when it is in the vertical upright position for ease of loading by hand. The present invention discloses an improved bag and opening maintenance mechanism which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a trash or refuse bag that includes a flexible container comprising at least one body panel that has at least two sides, a closed bottom and a top that includes an open mouth; and a retaining member comprising a flexible strip and extending sufficiently along at least one side of the mouth, the retaining member being fixedly connected to the body panel near the mouth. The retaining member has sufficient rigidity to keep the mouth of the bag in an open position when the bag is in use and is removable from the bag for disposal when the bag is full. To form the container, one body panel may be folded but is preferably connected along at least two sides and the bottom between the two sides, or first and second opposing body panels are present and are fixedly connected to each other along a pair of sides and a bottom.

If desired, a second retaining member can be provided comprising a flexible strip along the opposite side of the mouth of the bag. The second retaining member has sufficient rigidity to assist in keeping the mouth of the bag in an open position when in use and is also removable from the bag for disposal when the bag is full. The retaining member may also include a projecting lip that projects over the mouth of the bag and which pivots about an axis such to engage a flat surface to provide a ramp guide for material which is to be placed into the bag. The retaining member is advantageously formed of a composite or paper material.

The bag may further comprise a flexible loop attached to one of the opposing body panels of the bag which is of sufficient length for providing further assistance with keeping the bag in the open position when in use. This flexible loop is advantageously formed of plastic, paper, rope, or string. The bag may further comprise a flexible hook attached to one of the opposing body panels of the bag to permit the bag to remain open when in a vertical position. This flexible hook may be formed of plastic, paper, rope, or string. The bag may further comprise a clip attached to at least one of the opposing body panels of the bag for gripping any available elevated support, thus permitting the bag to remain open when in a vertical position. This clip may be formed of plastic, metal, or a functional combination thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood in relation to the attached drawings illustrating preferred embodiments, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention showing a bag with a solid edge and a flexible loop;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention showing a bag with a solid edge and a flexible hook;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention showing a bag in the horizontal position with two solid edges and a flexible loop;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention showing a bag with two solid edges and a flexible hook;

FIG. 5A is a plan view of a solid edge according to the invention;

FIG. 5B is a side view of a solid edge according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention showing a bag with a flexible loop;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention showing a bag with a flexible hook; and

FIG. 8 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention showing a bag with a solid edge and a clip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a bag 10 with a solid edge 14 (shown as the flexible strip), along with a loop handle 16 to facilitate opening bag in horizontal position. The bag 10 is as a standard size (20 to 55 gallon) polymeric trash bag generally available. The present invention is not limited to any particular size or material of the bag, as it may be used with bags of different sizes, materials such as paper and fabric. The edge 14 is shown folded inside the bag (thus a dotted line). The edge 14 should be of harder material than the bag 10 to give it enough support to keep the bag 10 open when in the horizontal position. The edge 14 may be made of a heavy paper, such as cardboard or free plastic or similar materials. The edge 14 should be attached along at least a portion of the mouth 18 of one side of the bag 10, preferably along a substantial portion, and may run along the entire side of the bag 10.

Also aiding in keeping the mouth 18 of the bag 10 open while in the horizontal position is loop handle 16. Such a handle 16 will typically be made of plastic or similar material to that of the bag 10 itself, but may also be made of other similar materials, such as rope, string, or paper. This handle 16 may be held by a user to keep the bag 10 in an open position while the bag 10 is loaded horizontally. The user may have the loop handle 16 around his or her arm, thereby freeing both arms to operate a broom, rake, shovel, or other device for loading the bag 10. Although FIG. 1 shows the handle in combination with the solid edge 14, the invention is not limited to embodiments where they are used together. FIG. 6 illustrates the solid edge 14 and FIG. 7 illustrates the loop handle 16 on a bag alone. Although the greatest utility is obtained when these are used in combination, the invention is not so limited.

FIG. 2 illustrates a bag 10 with a solid edge 14 and loop hook 22 that facilitates the hanging of the bag 10 in a vertical position. The hook 22 may be made of similar material to that of the loop handle. Hanging the bag 10 in a vertical fixed position makes loading labor saving and more efficient and keeps bag from toppling over. As demonstrated in this figure, the length of the solid edge 14 is not a limitation of the invention, so long as it is of sufficient length to permit the bag 10 to remain open when in the horizontal position. As with FIG. 1, although the embodiment in FIG. 2 is shown with the solid edge 14 in combination with the hook 22, the solid edge 14 and loop hook 22 may be used individually.

FIG. 3 shows a bag 10 with two solid edges 14 and a loop handle 16 in use in a horizontal position. This view shows the two opposing body panels of the bag 28, 30. The body panels 28, 30 are fixedly connected to each other along a pair of sides and a bottom bridging the pair of sides. The additional edge 14 may be used on the other side of the bag 10 to give additional support for the bag 10 in the open position. One of the solid edges 14 may also be used as a flip out edge for sweeping and/or raking debris into the bag 10. The solid edge 14 may also be used to guide debris into the bag 10 while placed in the horizontal position. The solid edge 14 may flip out to a position that permits it to act as a ramp or dust pan to guide the debris into the bag 10. The solid edge 14 engages the floor or ground to act as a ramp guide for the debris. In this embodiment, the edge 14 may protrude from the mouth 18 of the bag 10 to permit debris to be easily moved from the ground or floor and into the bag 10. Although not required, in embodiments where two solid edges are used together, one will typically be larger than the other. For example, one panel of the bag may have a 20 inch edge, while the other panel has a 17 inch edge.

As in FIG. 1, the loop handle 16 may be used to keep the bag 10 in an open position for loading debris in the horizontal position. The handle 16 should be of sufficient length to permit it to be held around a user's arm, typically about 24 to 36 inches, preferably about 30 inches. The length of the handle 16 should be significantly longer than the hook described below, typically about 3 to 8 times longer.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the present invention on a bag 10 in a vertical or upright position. The loop hook 22 could be used to hang the bag 10 on a hook or tree or similar to assist in keeping the bag 10 open when it is in the vertical or upright position. The hook 22 is typically about 3 to 12 inches in length, with a preferred embodiment being about 6 inches. The loop hook 22 would be formed of similar material to the bag 10, such as paper or plastic, but may be formed of rope or string, or other material that could be used to hook 22 the bag 10 in the open position. The loop hook 22 facilitates the hanging of the bag 10 in a vertical position. Hanging the bag 10 in a vertical fixed position makes loading labor saving and more efficient and keeps bag 10 from toppling over while it is being filled.

FIG. 5 shows a solid edge 14 that may be added to the bag, both in a top view (5A) and a side view (5B). The side view shows that the edge 14 is preferably formed of a material with sufficient flexibility that it will conform to the shape of the bag, but yet has sufficient rigidity to keep the bag open. The edge 14 should be of sufficient size to keep the bag in an open position (and thus will vary with the size of the bag), but for a typical 20 to 55 gallon garbage bag would be about 12 inches to 28 inches long, preferably about 16 inches to 24 inches long, and about 2 inches to 8 inches wide at its widest part. There may be desired applications where the width of the edge 14 would be greater than 8 inches, such that the width of the edge 14 is not a limiting feature of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the width would be about 5 inches. In varying embodiments, the edge 14 may be available in 17 inch and 20 inch lengths.

While the shape of the edge 14 is not a limitation of the invention, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the edge 14 is wider in the middle. This permits the edge 14 to more easily conform to the shape of the mouth of the bag. The edge 14 may also be of uniform width along the mouth of the bag.

The distance from the mouth of the bag for attaching the edge 14 will depend on the width of the edge 14. For example, if the edge is 5 inches wide, it should be attached to the panel of the bag about 2 to 5 inches from the mouth. When used as a ramp, it would need to extend over the opening, and should thus be mounted closer to the mouth. If the edge 14 is mounted too close to the mouth, it may not provide the necessary stability to keep the mouth of the bag open. For example, when a 5 inch wide edge 14 is used as a ramp, it should be mounted about 2 to 4 inches from the mouth, preferably about 3 inches from the mouth. In an embodiment where two edges 14 are used, if only one is to be used as a ramp, it may be mounted closer to the mouth than the other edge.

In a preferred embodiment, the solid edge 14 is formed of a flexible strip made of a disposal composite plastic and paper material for keeping the bag open in a horizontal position. The edge 14 may be fastened to the bag with glue or similar material. Preferably, the solid edge 14 may be easily removed once the bag is full, such as by tearing or a perforated edge. The edge 14 can then be easily disposed of with the remainder of the waste inside the bag.

As noted above, the edge 14 may be shaped as a dustpan or other ramp for assistance in loading the bag with a rake, broom, or shovel. In this case, the edge 14 would be able to flip from inside the bag to a position where it overlapped the edge of the bag for ease of contact with the ground or floor.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a bag 10 with the loop handle 16 and loop hook 22, respectively, and without the solid edge. As noted above, the loop handle 16 and hook 22 would generally be formed of the same material as the bag 10 such as plastic or paper, but could also be formed of string or rope. The handle 16 and hook 22 assist in keeping the bag 10 open when in the horizontal and vertical positions, respectively.

FIG. 8 illustrates a bag 10 with a solid edge 14 and clip 24 that facilitates the hanging of the bag 10 in a vertical position. The clip 24 may be made of plastic, metal, or some functional combination thereof that provides the spring force required to grip an available elevated surface and support the weight of a bag full of debris. Clipping the bag 10 in a vertical fixed position makes loading labor saving and more efficient and keeps bag from toppling over. As demonstrated in this figure, the length of the solid edge 14 is not a limitation of the invention, so long as it is of sufficient length to permit the bag 10 to remain open when in the horizontal position. As discussed previously with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, although the embodiment in FIG. 8 is shown with the solid edge 14 in combination with the clip 24, the solid edge 14 and clip 24 may be used individually.

The solid edge is formed as a flexible strip and may include a sweeping edge, as described above. The edge is formed of a flexible material with the strip secured at the terminal opening of the bag. However, it should be understood by those of skill in the art from this disclosure that the mouth opening devices can be designed to have various shapes, such as a rectangular or asymmetric, or any flat flexible shape. When an empty bag with attached mouth-opening device is placed in the horizontal position, the lower edge of the solid edge is supported by the ground or flat surface with only the material of the bag positioned therebetween. From the point of contact between the lower edge of the solid edge, the material of the bag and the ground, the solid edge extends generally vertically upward toward an upper edge of the solid edge. When used together, the solid edge forms a U-shaped opening that with the loop handle effectively maintains the mouth of the bag in an open position.

The solid edge is preferably secured to the bag using a standard adhesive. The present invention is not limited to a particular method of attaching the solid edge to the bag. The solid edge of the present invention is preferably used with polymeric or plastic bags. However, it is understood the present invention is not limited to any particular type of bag.

The solid edge is preferably formed of two strips of stiff light weight, flexible material, such as a laminated cardboard composite or flexible plastic specified to provide the needed support to keep the bags mouth open in a vertical and/or horizontal position. It should be understood from this disclosure that the solid edge may be constructed of materials other than the above mentioned materials. For example, the solid edge may be constructed of any polymer material, thin flexible metal material, a foam material, paper-covered foil strip with flexible support properties required for an open-mouth bag. The thickness of the material used to form the mouth-opening device should be sufficient to provide the needed support and can vary depending upon the supported material selected with suitable qualities. The length of the flexible strip material used to form the solid edge should correspond to the general circumference of the bag opening.

In a preferred embodiment, an adhesive is applied to the back surface of flexible strips is used to affix the solid edge to the inner surface of the bag. The type of adhesive used will be determined as by bag size and strength.

The solid edge can be used with bags other than the typical polymeric trash bag, increasing the number of potential application for which the mouth-opening device can be employed. The solid edge can be used with different size plastic bags for outdoor entertaining, large events, grounds keepers, janitors, removing landscaping debris and in heavy construction situations. The adhesive and bag weight can be modified for each particular application.

In the case of using the bag for construction work, the bag becomes a labor and injury reducing system by simply hanging the bag in the vertical position. Work crews can then place a wheel cart under each bag and unhook each bag letting it fall into the cart. This system alleviates the possibility of injuries and is much more time efficient.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact configuration as illustrated and described herein. Accordingly, all expedient modifications readily attainable by one of ordinary skill in the art from the disclosure set forth herein, or by routine experimentation therefrom, are deemed to be within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

1. A trash or refuse bag, comprising: a flexible container comprising at least one body panel that has at least two sides, a closed bottom and a top that includes an open mouth; and a retaining member comprising a flexible strip and extending sufficiently along at least one side of the mouth, the retaining member being fixedly connected to the body panel near the mouth; wherein the retaining member has sufficient rigidity to keep the mouth of the bag in an open position when the bag is in use and is removable from the bag for disposal when the bag is full.
 2. The bag of claim 1, wherein the body panel is connected along at least two sides and the bottom between the two sides.
 3. The bag of claim 1, wherein first and second opposing body panels are present and are fixedly connected to each other along a pair of sides and a bottom.
 4. The bag of claim 1, further comprising a second retaining member comprising a flexible strip along the opposite side of the mouth of the bag, wherein the second retaining member has sufficient rigidity to keep the mouth of the bag in an open position when in use and is removable from the bag for disposal when the bag is full.
 5. The bag of claim 1, wherein the retaining member includes a projecting lip that projects over the mouth of the bag and which pivots about an axis such to engage a flat surface to provide a ramp guide for material which is to be placed into the bag.
 6. The bag of claim 1, wherein the retaining member is formed of a composite or paper material.
 7. The bag of claim 1, further comprising a flexible loop attached to one of the opposing body panels of the bag which is of sufficient length for providing further assistance with keeping the bag in the open position when in use.
 8. The bag of claim 7, wherein the flexible loop is formed of plastic, paper, rope, or string.
 9. The bag of claim 1, further comprising a flexible hook attached to one of the opposing body panels of the bag to permit the bag to remain open when in a vertical position.
 10. The bag of claim 9, wherein the flexible hook is formed of plastic, paper, rope, or string.
 11. The bag of claim 1, further comprising a clip attached to at least one of the opposing body panels of the bag for gripping an available elevated surface, for the purpose of permitting the bag to remain open when in a vertical position.
 12. The bag of claim 11, wherein the clip is formed of plastic, metal, or a functional combination thereof. 